How to Replace Your Droid's Lens
by lizardbreath914
Summary: Rey loved BB-8. She really did. They were surprisingly alike: unassuming, insatiably curious, bearing great responsibility. Rey would probably never damage herself by somersaulting into a wall, though. [ReyRose].


Rey loved BB-8. She really did.

They were surprisingly alike: unassuming, insatiably curious, bearing great responsibility. Rey would probably never damage herself by somersaulting into a wall, though.

It was hardly the little guy's fault. They got clipped by an asteroid while he was making a sharp turn, and the metal corner of a trolley put a crack in his photoreceptor. Poor thing kept knocking into people until he found Rey.

"Alright," she said when she had successfully brought him to the hanger on a gurney, "we'll have you right as rain. Let's see what the damage is, huh?"

As she was unscrewing the frame that held his pvc lens in place, she could sense that someone was looking at her from behind a plane. Before using the Force, Rey would feel this sensation all the time, knowing full well that her mind was playing tricks on her. Now she honestly couldn't tell for sure.

"That engine must be seriously broken," she shouted.

Someone yelped in surprise. Her senses were reliable this time.

"I was just logging the damages," a woman in a jumpsuit explained nervously. "I wasn't trying to spy on you."

She had a soft face and good posture for someone acting so suspicious.

"It's alright. There isn't much to spy on. I'm just checking for internal damage on a droid. Do you know where I can get a lens for a BB model?"

BB-8 chirruped a greeting to her, waving his wiry hand.

She smiled and waved back. "I'll go check." She took long strides to a droid repair station in the far corner.

"You two know each other?" Rey asked him. The photoreceptor itself looked fine, so that was promising.

He happily beeped.

"Really?" Rey smiled gently. "What else?"

He blipped and pinged rapidly.

"I found it," the woman announced proudly. "We have a few just like this so you can break that part a few more times before we make a pit stop."

"Oh, thank you" - Rey screwed the metal rim back into place - "I'm Rey, by the way."

"I know. I mean, yes I know. Lots of people know," she corrected herself, offering Rey a handshake. "I'm Rose Tico. I fix things."

"I also know," Rey said, accepting the hand. "BB-8 told me about you."

Rose looked like she didn't know what face to make, but Rey hoped that meant she was happy.

"Do you mind if I watch you work? My specialty isn't really with the BB series, and maybe I should learn. Never know when I'll need that."

"Go ahead."

Rey scooted over to let Rose look inside. Nothing was leaking. So far, so good.

"Good news, BB-8. Everything in your software is intact." Rey turned to Rose. "It's fortified and well-protected, but still the most vulnerable part of the model. If there's damage, this is likely what needs to be replaced."

Rose nodded along while Rey walked her through all the moving parts, most of which corresponded to other droids.

"You must have had a great teacher," Rose tried to compliment her.

"I'm actually self taught. Didn't really have anyone to show me how to do much of anything."

"That must have been rough," Rose offered condolences. "Can't imagine what that must have been like."

"You have family?"

"Well, I _had_ family."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry."

"No, it's okay. I'm alright with talking about it," Rose tried to lighten the mood. "When I was a toddler, my sister Paige put large baskets over me and sat on them until I cried."

"Why do children do that to babies?" Rey laughed.

"She told me that she liked playing cops and robbers and someone had to be the robber. If it makes you feel better, at some point, every only child wishes they had siblings and every kid with siblings wishes they were an only child."

"Thank you," Rey dodged answering that directly. "Looks like BB-8 is good to go. Everything feel fine, buddy?"

He gave her the thumbs up.

"Excellent. It was real nice meeting you, Rose," Rey shook her hand. "I'll see you around?"

"Oh, I hope so. I mean. Yes, you will see me because I will be hard at work fixing droids and ships and whatnot." She finally let go of Rey's hand. "And I also think it was nice to meet you. Goodbye."

Rose took long strides to the break room and shut the door behind her. BB-8 tried to beep in a way that sounded like a suggestive whistle.

"I agree," Rey said. "Do you know if she's seeing anyone?"


End file.
